Reminder clock



pri? 28, 1936, H. H, SMITH REMINDER CLOCK v Filed April 8, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTO ATTOREYS April 2%, 1%33. H H SWTH 2,38fi

REMINDER CLOCK Filed April 8, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR W l IFLSmith ATTORNEYS H. H. ESMITH REMINDER CLOCK Filed April 8, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEREMINDER CLOCK Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,197

2 Claims.

My present invention relates to the art of electric clocks and moreparticularly to a clock which is so arranged as to be a greatconvenience in placing future reminder alarms and which may be moreproperly termed a reminder clock.

It is realized that many an attempt has been made in the past toprovidea clock mechanism upon which it is possible to set predeterminedwarnings or calls. These clocks are quite expensive due to thecomplication involved in their construction. In my present invention Iprovide a clock that makes it possible to set the mechanism so as togive the user any number of, reasonably spaced, future calls, a verydesirable feature from many points of view. A business executive mayhave a number of appointments made throughout the day. He can go overhis appointment sheets and set the clock so that as the time arrives forthe the various appointments the signal will be sounded. There are manyuses where this type of equipment is of a great con.- venience. Itprovides a very inexpensive reminder for hotel calls and the like. Itenables the home owner to take a radio program, for instance, and setthe signals for the various programs that might be of interest. Suchclocks in the past have been characterized by the expensive constructionentailed when an entire clock is made for that purpose. In my presentconstruction, however, I find it possible to take a standard electricclock housing and standard electric clock mechanism and add to itcertain parts which convert it into the reminder clock. It is thesedetails of construction for converting the standard clock to reminderclock that I believe to be new.

Therefore, the principal object of my present invention is to providemeans whereby a standard electric clock may be easily converted into areminder clock.

A further object of my present invention is to provide means which makefor more convenient setting of the various reminder alarms desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide means which utilize in alarge degree the motive coil of an existing clock for the creation ofthe alarm signal.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a clock built after the teachings ofmy principles. Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as at line2-2 through the face of Figure l and with the three hands in verticalposition. Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but illustrating thealarm mechanism in its non-operating position as distinguished fromFigure 2. Figure 4 is a rear elevation in fragmentary form of theessential trip mechanism, one portion of which is broken away forclarity of illustration. Figure 5 shows an exploded view forming thevarious parts employed in my trip and alarm-creating mechanism, the onlyessential part being omitted, being the face ring itself.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like characters indicate likeparts, l0 designates the housing such as normally supplied with thesmaller low-priced electric clocks. I then remove the usual dialassembly and insert in place thereof a face ring l2. This ring ispierced around its edge with a plurality of equi-spaced holes. In theform shown I have indicated forty-eight of these openings. This providesa reminder clock set-up which will make it possible to set the alarm forperiods of fifteen minute intervals. It will be understood, of course,that this number could be varied to meet the conditions under which theclock is to be operated. It is desirable, however, from the presentarrangement that these holes be spaced on an accurate circle having itscenter at the center of the hand shaft.

Adapted for reciprocation within the holes in face ring 12 are aplurality of stop members [4. These have a body or shaft portion l 6 ofuniform size and at its outer end is provided with a knob l8 of suchsize and shape that it will provide an easy grip for the fingers of theoperator. Further, a collar portion is provided as to serve as a stop tolimit the inward travel of the stop member. At its opposite end the stopmember is provided with a collar or bushing as 22 which provides theportion contacted by the trip assembly. This serves a two-fold purposein that as wear may be experienced, the collars can be removed andothers substituted and they also serve to limit the outward travel ofthe stop members themselves.

It has been found necessary to have the stop members easily slidablewithin the pierced hole in the face ring yet to have them so arrangedthat vibration incidental to the alarm sounding will not cause the pinsto work inwardly or outwardly, consequently I have provided a tensionmeans 24 which is formed of a fine coil spring extending around the facering and is so disposed that it engages the outer surface of pins I6 andplaces a constant, though rather light tension thereon. This issufficient for locking the stop members in position normally although inextreme cases it may be desirable to slightly groove pins IS in theiroutward position and in their inward position so as to provide a seatfor spring 24.

In the form shown face ring I2 is adapted to engage and be secured tohousing [0 and to in turn support all the clock and alarm mechanism. Itis then necessary to supply clock hands reduced somewhat in length andthe smaller dial indicated at 26. No change is normally made in the handarrangement other than reducing their sizes it being usual to have thesecond hand 21, the minute 28 and the hour hand 29.

The clockwork mechanism as normally supplied and referred to generallyby reference characters 30 is spaced away from face ring l2 as by aplurality of posts 32. This provides sufficient space between the dialand the clockwork mechanism for my trip means. The trip mechanismconsists of a plurality of parts which are mounted upon a trip base 34.This member is bifurcated at one end to form the two clamp members 35and 36 and is drilled at 31 so as to tightly engage shaft l3 or moreproperly the outermost tube shaft, which carries the hour hand. By meansof screw 38 the trip base 34 is clamped in fixed relationship to shaftl3 and revolves with it.

Hingedly secured to trip base 34 is the pusher plate 40. This isconnected to base 34 by a plu rality of link members 42. Inasmuch as thelink members are all of the same length pusher plate 40 moves away frombase 34 but maintains a parallel relationship therewith, inasmuch as thefour links 42 provide a parallelogram arrangement. Pusher plate 40 isnormally held tight against wedge plate 60 under urgence of the twotension strings 44 which are connected at one end to the pusher plate,being attached to hole 45 therein, and attach at their other ends tobracket members 46 which in turn are riveted or otherwise secured tobase 34.

As an operating means to force the pusher plate toward base 34 I providea sheave member 48 which is revolvably secured to base 34 as by journal50. I then employ a flexible wire 52 which is secured at one end inopening 53 in sheave 48, encircles the sheave, partially at least, andis secured to pusher plate 40 as at 54 of Figure 4. Fixedly secured tosheave 48 I provide a stop engaging pawl 56. This may-be of anydesirable construction and shape. It is essential, however, that it beso arranged as to engage only one stop at a time, as often times it isdesirable to set adjacent stops and unless the engaging portion of pawl56 is fine enough to drop in between adjacent stop members or theirbushings 22, the alarm will be continuous, a condition that defeats thepurpose of the clock.

Pusher plate 40 is disposed, as a matter of convenience, upon the hourhand shaft. It must be borne in mind, however, that due to the lateralmovement thereof the opening which encircles the shaft as 58 must beelongated. When the pusher plate is moved to the right as viewed in thevarious views, it engages the wedge plate 60 which also encircles thehour hand shaft. The primary purpose of plate 60 is to support andoperate wedge 62 and it is secured to the clock frame or, more properly,to the face ring extension by means of a rather thin and thereforeflexible spring member 64. Because of the yielding character of thisspring the wedge plate is forced to the right with a straight linemotion. Inasmuch as the area of the pusher plate 40 is sufficient toadequately support plate 60 against canting and provide the straightline movement required.

Referring to Figure 2, the action of wedge 62 will probably be mostclearly shown. When the wedge is inserted between the armature 6B andthe pole pieces 68 it prevents any audible signal due to dampening ofany possible vibration. When the signal is desired, the wedge iswithdrawn from between the pieces and the armature and a buzzer actionresults.

Pole pieces 68 are secured in proper electrical relationship with themotive coil 10 of the clock. This motive coil is a necessary componentpart of the clock, and by adapting this-coil to the buzzer constructiona very satisfactory and inexpensive buzzer is provided. Armature 66,which is of magnetic material, is yieldably held in position by thenon-magnetic bar 12 which is normally fixedly secured to the frame atone end as by rivets 14. The opposite end is free except for thelimiting effect of an adjustable stop. One simple means which has provenquite effective is to take an ordinary machine screw as 16, bend it asindicated, and clamp it so that by revolving it within frame member 16the desired degree of pressure may be applied to the extreme end 80 ofmember 12.

Method of operation In operating my reminder clock it is assumed thatthe clock is running so as to provide an ordinary time indicating clockand in such a condi tion wedge 62 is disposed between armature 66 andthe pole pieces 68 so that no signal is sounded. The operator in orderto set the clock grasps knob l8 with the thumb and fore finger normallyand pulls it outwardly. This places bushing 22 in the path of the trippawl 56 or in the modified form 99. When the hour hand which carries thetrip mechanism has revolved to the time indicated the pawl contactsbushing 22, and as the hour hand progresses the arresting action of thepawl revolves sheave 48. This produces in both the forms indicated aretraction of the pusher plates, whether it is form 40 or 88. Thismovement thru the co-acting mechanism withdraws wedge 62 from its normalposition separating armatures 66 from pole pieces 68 and the signal isproduced.

In the form indicated the signal is normally a buzzer. However, theactual form of signal is a matter of personal choice, the vibratingarmature could be made to actuate a bell or any other signalingarrangement desired. As soon as the pawl slips over bushing 22 as thehour hand drives it around, a reversal of the operation takes place. Thepresser plate is returned to its normal position where it pressesagainst wedge plate 60, forcing the wedge 62 in between the armature andthe pole pieces, thus shutting off the buzzer action. This brings outthe need for bushing 22, in that the size of bushing 22 will normallydetermine the duration of the alarm altho this is modified somewhat bythe exact shape of the pawl member.

If the operator does not restore stop member IE to its normal positionthe alarm will be sounded again 12 hours later, that is in a twelve hourclock movement. Now it is believed it will be understood clearly thatany number of stops I6 might be withdrawn to the outer position and thevarious alarms sounded in their proper sequence.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings are believed toclearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will beunderstood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that suchchanges in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope andspirit of the following claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device as described, the combination with a rotating shaft and atrip-base rotatable therewith, of a pressure-plate and links pivotallysupporting said plate on the base, a spring for holding the plate inprojected position, a trip pivoted on the base, an abutment in the pathof movement of the trip, a retracting device con nected to said pressureplate, and connections between said trip and retracting device foractuating the latter when the trip encounters the abutment.

2. In a. device as described, the combination with a rotating shaft anda trip base rotatable therewith, of a. pressure plate and linkspivotally supporting said plate on the base, a spring for holding theplate in projected position, a pivoted trip mounted on the base, anabutment in the path of movement of the trip, a sheave mounted on thepivot of the trip and a cord connected with said plate, whereby theplate is retracted when the trip encounters the abutment.

HAROLD H. SMITH.

